British Merlin - My first trip

[Peteracook]

I have a few good memories of my first trip to see as a N/A on the British Merlin (Sept 19720, I wont lie that I enjoyed the experience (in fact I almost quit) but it formed me for the rest of my marine career (almost 41 years to the day, so couldnt have been so bad).
I joined the vessel with a long time school friend of mine Andrew Shepherdson (KAS) (Sadly he died I few years back, he left the MN to become a very successful Police Officer, serving in Northern Ireland under cover among many other dangerous locations) and always remember the hilarity which greeted us as we joined the vessel as first trippers in full uniform and wondered if we had made a bad move.
I always remember a number of people from that voyage who both helped me .
The first person who met us was the 3/O, Dave Coleman I always remember his grin as we walked up the flying bridge towards the Officers Smokeroom, carrying enough baggage for a 3 year expedition.
He then took us to the C/O who was Dave (Tony) White, who also tried with difficulty to constrain his amusement ( I later sailed with Tony at least 2 times and thoroughly enjoyed it). The Master (Releiving Master) was Colin Burley (possibly Birley) a truly nice person who although he was amused made us feel welcome and proved to be a very good mentor.

Andrew and I spent 5 months on that vessel, he shone I didnt, everything I did seemed to be wrong, particularly when the permanent Master PD Waller joined, wasnt a pleasant time from thereon.

The other people I remember were Fraser Betts who was 2/0, a real gent, and 2/O Paul Quarry and sailed with him again on the Commerce when he was C/O, also a very supportive man, I was the one who painted the mermaid on the bottom of the Br Commerce swimming pool.

There were many others, particularly the Polish Bosun who took us under his wing, and I always recall when through Illness he had to be medivaced in the Baltic Sea, he was a brilliant and very reliable seaman.

Oh and by the way I must apologise to Capt Burley for washing his boiler suits in pure 1100X (I dont think the company approved, but hey it was their oil) ......they fell apart when he wore them on his tour as C/O.....well we did hang them over the stern to rinse them.

I also recall two very supportive N/A, Dave Reid and Moh (never knew his family name).

Oh and also I met Dave Coleman a few years later in the waiting room at the DOT (DTP etc) when I was waiting to do my Mates orals, he was still trying to get second mates, he was still smiling. A good 3/O.....

[j.sabourn]

That first trip is make or break time Peter. I had the chance to nearly skin out in the UK of all places. Some of my counterparts didn't have that chance as their first trip was 4 years and in some cases over that. The only consolation was they were on ABs or 3rd. Mates money then. Regards John Sabourn.

[Peteracook]

Never a truer word John, it was tough but a great base line to build a career. And thinking back if it had been easy then may have found it tougher later, might as well understand what its all about at the beginning. But what memories.

[j.sabourn]

See you are OIM offshore now. I was trying to remember the OIMs name on the Ocean Epoch ( American) about 1998. I was Tow master on her for the passage SE Australia to the NW shelf. The bridle parted in the middle of the Australian Bight and had to be replaced after ballasting up. Then after being anchored for 3 days off Fremantle and picking up the tow again the weather got up and the lead tug wire parted,, and couldn't have done it if he had tried, he ran outside and dropped one of the rigs anchors right on top of the telephone cable going from Fremantle to Singapore. Give him his due he took all of it on the chin and weathered the storm so to speak. He must be well retired by now I should imagine. Regards John Sabourn

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, Hi peter,I was on the "British Merlin" 1972 join in swansea Captain R.D. Waller on my book, but cant remember much about than one.

[Peteracook]

Hi Louis,
I joined her in Sept 1972 and paid of in IOG in March 73. We spent most of our time on the Swedish coast which wasnt much fun in winter I recall.
Peter

[Peteracook]

Sounds like he was a bit of a Jonah. I did quite a bit of tow master work myself in the North Sea mostly during the 80's and 90's, thoroughly enjoyed it but eventually it was time to move on to pastures new and never looked back

[j.sabourn]

Dirty British trampship with a salt stained smokestack ploughing up the Channel in the mad March days, with a cargo of Sandalwood something and something and cheap tin trays. As it is 65 years since this was taught to us at the council school I attended, the same as other poems such as the Charge of the Light Brigade, obviously taught to us to try and instill some sort of pride in ourselves as a nation and past and present history, by teachers who cared about our heritage and past as a Nation, something so sadly lacking in our education of today. However whenever I try to recollect John Masefields poem, other lines jump into my head and don't know if they are part of same poem or not, They are " Have you ever stood on the Bridge at Midnight, not the Bridge of a babbling stream but the Bridge of an old tramp steamer, heavily laden and broad abeam, and another " If you have you wont doubt my story the story I'm trying to tell, of men who leave love home and comfort, for a glorified bleeding hell " Anyone conversant with the poem will know if the two additional paragraphs are part of the poem or not, otherwise must have been done by some would be poet on some ship I may have been on. Cheers John Sabourn

[cappy]

now then john they are some words that stir the brain and the heart learned the beating up the channel one at school but would like to know the other on the tramp ship ......there used to be a fishermans song about silver darlings and the line that always got me was to .....you have a manly bearing.....I don't mean like john wayne ....I mean like a seafaring man hope somebody comes up with the words.......rob will probably know ....whats the temp there today ......13 here at the moment regards cappy

[Don Rafferty]

This one cappy?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGP2oJnjyVw

Lyrics: http://celtic-lyrics.com/lyrics/453.html